


Of rats and men

by Escritora2Aliasfox



Series: Fantastic beasts and other creatures... [2]
Category: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Movies)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-06
Updated: 2016-12-06
Packaged: 2018-09-06 23:20:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,755
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8773471
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Escritora2Aliasfox/pseuds/Escritora2Aliasfox
Summary: What was of the real Percival Graves while Gellert took over his identity?...and after?





	

Percival Graves stole a pencil, like it was the most valuable jeul in the glove, and hided it under the closet, praying for it not to be discovered. He chued throu it like life depended on his task (wich was, actually, the case) and when he heared footsteps coming closer, he stood on his hind legs, listening, and his wiskes twitched. He knew the sound and the smell:

Newt was back.

Percival looked like a rat. But he was not! He was a powerfull wizard. And not just any, but a high rank working for the MACUSA. …that is, untill that bastard Grindelward snook into his office, waited for him there and defeated him.

Not content with that, he also stole his identity, and turned him into a rat.

Grindelward had smiled at him wikedly, and then took his trash can: emptied it, put the rodent in it, teleported himself into the midle of hyde park (just becouse of “oh, the irony!”) and emptied said trash can again, into another trash can. Desapearing right after.

Graves climbed out of there, and stood on the ground in shock, thinking of what next.  
He then searched for shelter, and later food and water, wich was not the best but to his exausted rat shelf felt soo satisfying!  
He then begun a long journey back into his office, wich lasted many days and nights, and during wich he encountered many dangers and even allies, and he learned a couple of life lessons. The most excityng part of it was the last one, when he had to put to use his best skills in order to get back into the place wich had once been his working space.

It looked, and people behabed, like he had never left. Wich at a time sadden and infurated him. But at the time he got himself a dry, cozy place behind his bookcase, where he could sleep and think a way to go back to normal from there.

Surprisingly soon after, he got caught again, by Grindelward. Again. Damint!!

He had been very carefull when investigating the ofice and steeling food not to be noticeable, but, eventually, Grindelward had suspected of the smell, and, one time when Graves had come out he found the trash can automaticly encaging him by art of magic. It was solidly held down and all he could do was chew throu it, but before he had got a big enough hole on it his captor came in.

Gellert stared steadly at him for a few moments, thinking if it was possible or just casuality… no. It was him. not just any rat: Most wild rats have a common, basic pattern. Some dark colour on all of their coat except for the belly and lower muzzle.  
This one had a fancy pattern: mostly white, with irregular dark marks on head and back (rat owner call it the hooded pattern) wich is very common on domestic rats…

But it was too much casuality right? That a stray domestic rat who looked just like the wizard he had cursed was nesting on the same room…

-you managed to come back uh? tell me: what was your plan now? Uhm? Make me trip and fall down and still my wand? Oh, wait, you can not talk! Well you know what they say… keep your friends close, …but your enemies closer!

And so, Gellert called his assistant to get him a rat cage. Complete with a wheel, and made sure to mention to her “what do you think of my new pet?” and it didn’t change anything how many sounds the rat made, or how much he struggled and bit, he was thrown into it. Gellert then smiled at him one last time, and even spoke in a baby talk tone.

-maybe you can help me with my job, mousy!

And he let the cage in a place where anyone who passed by could see it.

Graves was devastated and humiliated. He ate pellets, and drank water from a damned tube wich he had to lick and his only excercise was the goddamned wheel. He also had a litterbox where he had to evacuate for the assistant to clean. And no matter howmuch he tried to scape, or signal her, all of his atempts where crushed by Grindelwald, who ignored him most of the time. He even could hear and watch everything that happened in the office, and how he delinquent abused of his job… he was going to become mad!

Only when the smell started to bother him, and he was reminded that real animals where not allowed in the place, Grindleward sent the cage and the pet home all thogether and when he arived there that day, he told to his victim…

-Now it will not be so fun to have you arround… maybe i should get rid of you…or just let you die. Like a rat!

And so, graves found with disgust that his cage wouldn’t be cleaned anymore, and food would barely be dropped in, and Grindelward was keeping him alive only untill he thoug of something better to do with him.

Percival started then to evacuate throu the bars, and when it was really smelling bad Gellert just hired someone else to clean the mess once a week, and take care of the animal. Percival was kept in a room where he barely ever saw his captor at all.

And, much later, suddenly one day, Tina came into the room.

-Oh!- she muttered- …i didn’t know he had a pet…

Percival was so happy to see an actual friendly face! And he crawled into the bars and tried to call he attention, but of course, was not understood.

-…were you Percival’s, i mean, before he was… assaulted bu Grindelward?

…so they had discovered him, but still didn’t know he was there!

-…you are not a fantastic creature, but you are a traditional wizarding pet, and Newt would kill me if i didn’t make sure you are well cared for…

And so, even he didn’t know who was this Newt, or what had happened, he thanked to god for being carried to Tina’s office, where she kept him whith the excuse of him being part of an investigation. (She didn’t want a rat at her house)

It was a while later, when she came back with an extranger.

-this is it?  
-yeah. It was in Grave’s house.

The newcomer crouched in front of the cage and laid a finger throu the barrets. Graves, curiously, sniffed it.

…it smelled like anymals. Like a zoo or something…

-rats are very social creatures- said this man, opening the cage, and letting his hand inside, to see the rodent’s behaibor. Percivall was bored in his case so he was happy to climb into it. He was held carefull and peted in a profesional, satisfying way.

-…if they don’t have at least another rat to cuddle and play with, they feel kind of depressed…  
-oh really? Well, i didn’t want a pet rat. I was just taking care of it. I thoug maybe you…  
-could take care of it? Well, i am a magizoologist, not an exotic pets vet, …but it would be kind of wrong to refuse to help this poor little fella, right?  
-thanks, Newt!

So this was Newt! How interesting. whatever the case, Graves found himself in one of the pokets of his coat, being carried with him, and allowed to climb into his shoulder to watch the world from there. He was often fed with the same food as the wizard’s, and afectionatly carased or casually petted or cuddled in Newt’s hands, and he was often spoken to with a kind, friendly voice.

After all he had been throu, it was really nice.  
Grves found that Newt didn’t just study animalls: he had some short of zoo, a collection of many sanctuarys where he kept, nurtured and bred fantastic beasts, specially those wich belonged to an endangered species or ad been mistreated. It was a theme that had never called his atention specially, but in his situation he could undertand the true meaning of it.

He also noticed that Newton seemed to be extremily shy and akward around people, specially extrangers, but quite confident and capable with animals. …and was thinking of finding a new home for him!

-it is nothing personal- he had said- is just that, i have a lot of work with the fantastic beasts in the sanctuary, and you are not even a art of it! You could be happy as some kid’s pet…

He could not let that happen. He had to do something! so, as soon as he was left alone in Newt’s desk, and there hapened to be a pen nearby! He just took it and run to the perfect hiding place behind the closet, where he chew it into a small piece, and chew away all of the wood, so it was easy for him to handle it. 

 

Newton was already walking throu the room, calling for him. better to come out before he used some kind of spell!

So he crawled out with the piece in his mouth, prying not to have it taken away, and climbed into Newts hand as soon as he was seen.

-there you where! Now, what’s that on your mouth?

Before he could be held back, Percival run up his arm, and jumped from his shoulder into the desk, and started writing in the first paper he found.

Newt just stared in amazement.

“im no rat. Cursed wizard. Take back to normal please!”

Graves stood apart looking into Newt’s eyes expecting a response. The wizard stood there in aparent shock. Then, calmly, he took out his wand and pointed to him, before sending a spell that broke so easily the curse.

With a sudden, extrange sound, Percival found himself back in human form, dirty and probably afected for secondary efects from being a rat for so long, but human again.

He got up from where he had fallen in the floor, and looke at his hands, and then, in profound joy and shock, he looked at Newt, who was still in shock, and jumped on him, and hel his face on his hands an kissed him.

-Thank you! Thank you, thank you, thank you, so much!!

Newt just stood there, bewildrened, trying to take it all in, while Graves just run upstairs.

He needed to walk on two legs. …and write a few letters.

**Author's Note:**

> I must be honest: i was a bit confused with the whole thing of Graves and Grindelward. It was quite ovbious what had happened, but what i didn't get is if at the end, Percival was found, or what had happened to him. Acording to the fandom, he seems to be back. But is this just the fandom wishing for him to be ok or is it canon? Im afraid i didn't get that.  
> They also seem to pair him with Newt like he was his saviour. Uh.
> 
> Anyways, here is my headcanon of what was of Percival after his identity was taken over by Gellert.


End file.
